Current:Home > Invest2 more women accuse Jonathan Majors of physical, emotional abuse in new report -GrowthSphere Strategies
2 more women accuse Jonathan Majors of physical, emotional abuse in new report
View
Date:2025-04-13 18:02:03
Two more women have accused Jonathan Majors of physical and emotional abuse.
Two former girlfriends, Emma Duncan and Maura Hooper, accused the "Creed III" actor of abuse in a new report from The New York Times published Thursday, following the actor's conviction for assaulting and harassing ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari in December.
The Times investigation also revealed a history of "volatility" on the set of HBO's "Lovecraft Country," in which Majors starred as Atticus Freeman, including contention with female co-workers that led to complaints to the network.
A rep for both Duncan and Hooper, who is familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed the accuracy of the New York Times report to USA TODAY Friday.
Majors' attorney Priya Chaudhry described his past relationships with Duncan and Hooper as a "love triangle" and "toxic" but denied allegations of abuse and knowledge of complaints from co-workers on the set of "Lovecraft Country," in an emailed statement to USA TODAY Friday.
USA TODAY has reached out to HBO for comment.
The four-month Times investigation includes accounts from 20 people who knew or worked with Majors, including some identified anonymously out of fear of career repercussions, as well as statements submitted to the prosecution in Majors' assault trial.
Rolling Stone in June published a similar report, detailing allegations of abuse toward former classmates, crew members and former romantic partners over the course of a decade.
In the Times report, Duncan accused Majors of throwing her around, choking her and bruising her. Hooper alleges she endured emotional abuse from Majors. Both dated Majors before his rise to fame and described him as a controlling and threatening figure in their lives, isolating them from friends and career pursuits.
In one of several instances of violence early on in their relationship, Duncan alleged, during a July 2016 trip to Chautauqua, New York, the former couple had an argument where Majors threatened to strangle and kill her.
She alleged in that same month, when she visited Majors in Sante Fe, New Mexico, a violent altercation occurred in a hotel room when she began packing to leave. Duncan accused Majors of pushing her into a couch, choking her and telling her he was "going to kill" her. She said he then threw her across the room and said, "I'm going to make sure you can't have children."
Duncan accuses the actor of picking her up and slamming her body into a mailbox at their Harlem, New York, apartment in October 2016, causing bruising, she said. After the incident, as well as others, Majors threatened to kill himself, she claimed.
Hooper claimed that, while she was dating Majors, he was controlling about where she could go, who she spoke with and how she behaved. She alleges the actor did not allow her to speak to anyone about their relationship and threatened suicide at one point when she learned of an affair.
Hooper alleged when she got pregnant a few months into their relationship, she scheduled an abortion. When Majors took her to the medical clinic, which had a policy that required an escort home after the procedure, he did not come to pick her up, she alleged. When Hooper called him, she said, he told her he was going to a rehearsal.
Hooper also claimed a year after the couple broke up when Majors found out she was dating someone he knew, he called her and, in an argument, told her he hoped she would kill herself and said he was "going rip you out of my heart the way they ripped our baby out of you."
Majors denied the physical abuse accusations in a statement shared by his attorney to USA TODAY. He also denied some of the emotional abuse accusations and did not recall the exact details of others. He described the relationships as "mutually emotionally volatile," adding that he is "choosing to take responsibility for his role" in the "toxic" relationships.
"Looking back, he is embarrassed by some of his jealous behavior and has been addressing these personal, lifelong depression issues with counseling," wrote Chaudhry in an email shared with USA TODAY Friday.
Additionally, three female crew members from the set of "Lovecraft Country" are said to have submitted a complaint to HBO about Majors' behavior on set, including that the actor was argumentative, treated them differently than male colleagues and that he, in one instance, made a derogative, racially charged comment about her appearance, and in another case, told a crew member she did not belong on the set.
Chaudhry also provided photos to the Times and USA TODAY, in an effort to prove his relationships with Duncan and one of the "Lovecraft Country" crew members after the alleged incidents were "friendly."
If you are a victim of domestic violence, The National Domestic Violence Hotline (thehotline.org) allows you to speak confidentially with trained advocates online or by the phone, which they recommend for those who think their online activity is being monitored by their abuser (800-799-7233). They can help survivors develop a plan to achieve safety for themselves and their children.
Contributing: Morgan Hines
veryGood! (57122)
Related
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- Trump says Kari Lake will lead Voice of America. He attacked it during his first term
- Apple, Android users on notice from FBI, CISA about texts amid 'massive espionage campaign'
- 'Wicked' sing
- 'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
- New York Climate Activists Urge Gov. Hochul to Sign ‘Superfund’ Bill
- 'Yellowstone' Season 5, Part 2: Here's when the final episode comes out and how to watch
- Biden and Tribal Leaders Celebrate Four Years of Accomplishments on Behalf of Native Americans
- Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
- Analysis: After Juan Soto’s megadeal, could MLB see a $1 billion contract? Probably not soon
Ranking
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- 'We are all angry': Syrian doctor describes bodies from prisons showing torture
- Stock market today: Asian stocks are mixed ahead of key US inflation data
- This drug is the 'breakthrough of the year' — and it could mean the end of the HIV epidemic
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- Fortnite OG is back. Here's what to know about the mode's release, maps and game pass.
- Alex Jones keeps Infowars for now after judge rejects The Onion’s winning auction bid
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
Recommendation
How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
When does the new season of 'Virgin River' come out? Release date, cast, where to watch
Orcas are hunting whale sharks. Is there anything they can't take down?
Snoop Dogg Details "Kyrptonite" Bond With Daughter Cori Following Her Stroke at 24
McKinsey to pay $650 million after advising opioid maker on how to 'turbocharge' sales
Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
Stock market today: Asian shares retreat, tracking Wall St decline as price data disappoints
Woman fired from Little India massage parlour arrested for smashing store's glass door